James Nash State High School eNewsletter

From The Principal's Desk

As we approach the final weeks of a busy and successful Term 3, I want to take a moment to celebrate the many achievements of our students and provide a general school update.

Celebrating Our Students' Success

We have so much to be proud of this term. Our students have excelled in a wide range of areas, demonstrating their hard work and dedication.

Academic Excellence: A huge congratulations to the 10 students who achieved a perfect 100% in their first internal assessment for the unit. We even had some students achieve this incredible feat in multiple subjects! This is a testament to the students' commitment, the dedication of our teachers, and the invaluable support from parents.
Cultural Excellence: Our ACA Showcase evenings were a fantastic display of talent, teamwork, and leadership, with a variety of music, dance, and drama performances. At the Gympie Eisteddfod, our Concert Band and Stage Band both took home first place, while the String Ensemble and LARK achieved an impressive second place.
Sporting Excellence: Congratulations to our four Age Champions from the Gympie District Athletics: Maci Ritchie, Oliver Pratt, Kyrra Feekings, and Cody Francis. Your hard work and sportsmanship have done our school proud.

A Vibrant School Community

Our school is more than just a place of learning; it's a thriving community. This term, we've seen our school spirit shine through a variety of events and initiatives:

Giving Back: We raised an incredible $1800 for cancer research during Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. Thank you to everyone who contributed.
Engaging Events: From Science Week and Book Week to our Father's Day stall and Muster Celebration in Mary Street, there has been something for everyone. Our Parent-Teacher interviews were a great success, with over 48 parents in attendance.
"R U OK Day": We will be holding an "R U OK Day" on September 11, a timely reminder to check in with one another.

Farewell to the Class of 2025

We celebrated the graduating class of 2025 with a memorable formal and graduation ceremony. The students' conduct was outstanding, and it was a joy to see over 600 family members and friends come together to celebrate this milestone. A special thank you to the organising team and the Year 11 students who helped make the evening a success.

Our Focus on Improvement

Our teaching staff remains dedicated to "Empowering Learners." This term, our focus has been on:

Learning Walls: Creating clear and co-constructed learning walls in classrooms to help students understand their learning goals and success criteria.
Student Learning Goals (SLAPS): Supporting students in setting and achieving their learning goals, with a particular focus on mastery.
Collaborative Professional Learning: Providing opportunities for teachers to observe and learn from one another to share best practices.

We are also working to strengthen our school-community partnerships and are exploring new ways to engage with parents. We welcome your feedback and suggestions, which can be sent to the principal at principal@jamesnashshs.eq.edu.au.

Campus Upgrades

We are excited to announce several upcoming improvements to our school facilities:

Perimeter Fence: The new perimeter fence will be installed shortly, which will lead to updated procedures for visitors and students entering and leaving the school.
Tuckshop Refurbishment: Our tuck shop will be refurbished in Term 4. A food van will provide a reduced menu during this time, with the new tuck shop expected to open next year.
Multipurpose Court & Maintenance: The multipurpose court will be resurfaced, and we will be undertaking significant gutter and walkway maintenance.

Staff Updates

We have a few staff changes to announce. Mr. Zak Green has taken on the role of Deputy Principal in regional Queensland, with Ms. Shannon Fox and Ms. Rachael Ross moving into the Year 8 Head of Year roles. Mrs. Lisa Farnes is on leave, with Mrs. Katelyn McDonald acting as Science Head of Department. Mr. Jackson Dodd will be on leave for Term 4, and I will be acting as principal during this time.

Mark Your Calendar: Key Dates for Term 4

October 23: Sports Awards Evening
November 19: Awards Evening
November 20: P&C Meeting
November 21: Year 12 Last Day & Farewell Parade
November 28: Last Day for Year 10 & 11

More information on these events can be found on the school's website.

Thank you for your continued support. We are looking forward to a productive and rewarding Term 4.

Mark Seijbel
Acting Principal

Year 7

Exciting things are happening as we head to the end of Year 7 2025!

Being Positive

This is one of our school values. Last we asked the students for positive actions they could take here at school to make the place better for others. Students had identified these actions. We will keep reinforcing this is Assemblies, Care classes and Core classes to make the school a better place for everyone.

Junior School Captains

Our Junior leadership application process commences Week 4. We have 8 Junior Captains in Year 8. Students can access the forms today and will receive support in applying. The application process is in two parts. One the students make a written application. From there they are shortlisted. Those successful will then be interviewed by HODSS and Deputy Principal. Students and parents will be notified 1 November.
The position of Junior School Captain at James Nash State High School is an important role in our school community. Captains are expected to be outstanding role models who work well with students and staff. Captains demonstrate the school’s values; positive, resilient, hardworking, and respectful. They can help others and have the confidence and respect of students and teachers.
To be eligible to apply, students must have received Excellent and/or Very Good in Behaviour and Effort in every subject in the Term 3 report. They must also have greater than 85% attendance.

James Nash State High School Awards Night – keep an eye out for the invitations

Good Standing

Please keep reminding your child of the behaviour expectations that underline our Nash Values – Respectful, Resilient, Hardworking and Positive
By following these your child will receive Good Standing points which make them eligible to attend Aussie World for our end of year trip.

YZD – Yellow Zone Detention

These detentions are issued for two reasons; truancy/ late more than 10 minutes or behaviour. If a student “wags” a lesson then they can be expected to complete a YZD. Failure to do so will result in afterschool detentions. Students are expected to attend any detention given to them. Once upon a time, these were used as punishments. Here at Nash, we use these detentions as an opportunity to understand why the student was acting that way. We can also complete restorative conversations with staff or students if it is about unacceptable behaviour in the classroom.

Bullying

There seems to be an increase in online bullying this term. If you have any concerns about what is happening, please help your child make a notification on Stymie. This is the quickest and easiest way to alert me of the issues. The process is designed to empower the student to be able to call out bullying.

https://about.stymie.com.au/

Q Parents

Please register for Q Parents to access report cards and camp permission forms. Please contact the office if you are having any problems accessing this information.

Year 8

From the Desk of the Head of Departments – Student Services (Year 8)
As you may have heard with Zak’s departure Shannon Fox and Rachael Ross has begun working with the Year 8 Students. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on the term so far and introduce ourselves for the term coming.

Book Week – A Resounding Success!
This year’s Book Week was, without doubt, our most successful ever. The engagement, energy, and creativity shown by both students and staff was simply outstanding. I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to our exceptional year 8 leaders and our team of dedicated staff including but not limited to Ashlin Crabtree, Chantelle Sprigg, Kelli-Anne Dukic, and Rod Jenkins – along with the entire English Department for their vision, planning, and dedication. Events like this do not happen without a huge team effort, and this one truly showcased the strength of our school community.

Year 8 into Year 9 – Subject Selection
Looking ahead, the subject selection process for Year 8 students moving into Year 9 will take place at the beginning of next term. This is an exciting time for students as they begin to tailor their learning to suit their strengths and interests. More information will be shared shortly, and we encourage both students and parents to engage in these conversations as early as possible.

Improved Attendance – Well Done!
It’s also fantastic to report that Year 8 attendance has been on the rise. Congratulations to all of our students who are showing up, stepping up, and making the most of their time at school. This commitment to learning and participation is a huge contributor to individual and collective success – keep it up!

Shannon Fox and Rachael Ross

We are looking forward to getting to know the year eight students further and wanted to introduce ourselves to year 8 parents. We are excited to work together to provide support for the Year 8 students and to continue the work in the Year 8 space. Please feel free to reach out if you need to speak with us. Rachael is available on Monday and Tuesdays and Shannon is available from Wednesday to Friday.

**Rachael Ross HODSS Year 8**
Monday - Tuesday

**Shannon Fox HODSS Year 8**
Wednesday - Friday

Welcome Year 8 HODs of Student Services

Dear Parents, for the remainder of 2025, Mrs Rachael Ross and Mrs Shannon Fox will be the Heads of Department for Student Service – Year 8. Both Mrs Ross and Mrs Fox are long term staff members of James Nash SHS and bring a wealth of experience to the role. Mrs Ross is available to support students and parents on Monday and Tuesday, while Mrs Fox works in the role for the remainder of the week. Please direct any enquiries related to year 8 to these staff members.

Greg Cooper
Deputy Principal Years 7 & 8

Year 9

Forge Ahead – Channel 9 Documentary

Some of our Year 9, 10 and 11 students have been fortunate to take part in Forge Ahead, a unique blacksmithing program run by Dan and Gina Davie at Chatsworth. Over six weeks, students have been learning traditional techniques while designing and creating their own metal artworks.

Last week, the group had an exciting opportunity to be filmed as part of a Channel 9 documentary, My Way, which will air later this year (October/November). This was a wonderful chance to showcase the Forge Ahead program and students to show their creative work and the inspiring learning experiences.

Last week, our Year 12 students proudly attended the QATSIF (Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation) Scholarship Graduation Ceremony at the Sunshine Coast University’s Sippy Downs campus.

The QATSIF scholarship provides up to $2,000 over two years to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Queensland with the costs of senior studies, such as uniforms, books, and equipment. Scholarships are open to students in Years 10 or 11 who meet eligibility requirements.

The graduation was a special occasion, giving students the chance to hear from inspiring First Nations leaders, celebrate culture and connections, and share their aspirations for the future. It was a proud moment for our school community to see our students acknowledged for their achievements and commitment to their education

Rachael Pelling
Deputy Principal Year 9

Senior School

Academy of Instrumental Music

This term, our talented Academy of Instrumental Music students and staff had the privilege of performing at a variety of local primary schools, including Gympie West, Jones Hill, Gympie South, One Mile, Central, and Chatsworth State Schools.

These visits not only showcased the joy and importance of Instrumental Music in our students’ lives but also highlighted the valuable learning pathways available through music. The performances encouraged younger students to continue with their chosen instrument into high school, while giving our current musicians a chance to shine beyond their regular rehearsals—stepping out from behind their music stands to connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.

It was a truly rewarding day, enjoyed by all schools, students, and staff involved. A massive congratulations to our Academy students for their outstanding effort, respectful behaviour, teamwork, and wonderful performances.

Science

This year’s National Science Week was a huge success, with students enthusiastically engaging in hands-on activities and experiments. Highlights included the exploding watermelon challenge, exploring oobleck as a non-Newtonian fluid, and testing out string telephone chats. We also celebrated our new Science Ambassadors and recognised the winners of the Mini Scientist photo competition. It was fantastic to see such a great turnout and so much excitement for science across our school community!

“Together we are building pathways, mentoring opportunities, and skills to help the next generation create a brighter and healthier future.”

Recently, six Year 10 girls from James Nash were invited to join the I-Wish program. Inspiring Women in Science and Health is a Matthew Flinders initiative in its third year, where 95 girls from Years 10–12 participate in a design sprint. Leading female researchers and scientists, with experience ranging from brand-new PhD students to people with their own labs, delivered speeches on their specialisations and the paths they took to get to where they are now.

The groups designed a product, initiative, or app, which they took from the concept phase to presentation. They presented their ideas to the cohort and were judged by a panel of Matthew Flinders alumni, science teachers, and the Deputy Head of Suncoast Christian College.

After the initial presentation by the researchers, I was fortunate to find myself in a group of enthusiastic young women from Matthew Flinders and Suncoast Christian College. Our mentor was Taylor Dick, whose field was neuromechanics. It was a fantastic experience to work alongside Taylor, and her enthusiasm for her research was infectious. At the end of the conference, our presentation was awarded first place.

As a team, we brainstormed products that could act as exoskeletons while being sleek and aesthetic. We designed a range of products under the name XO-Garment. The product we presented was a pair of leggings made from special fabric to make walking easier for people who struggle and harder for people who want a more challenging workout. The mechanism included a BOA clip to act as a gear changer, so one pair of leggings could switch between assistive and resistive modes. Other James Nash students were able to work in fields such as psychology, astrophysics, and physiology.

Over the two days, I really enjoyed everyone’s enthusiasm for their chosen career pathways. I also appreciated the tour of SCHI and the speeches from the researchers, which made me realise that the path you are on right now is not necessarily where you will end up. I especially enjoyed meeting new people with similar goals in life.

Written by Caitlin Munn

Chess Tournament

James Nash is still finding the GOLD!

On the 25th of august four James Nash chess teams went to St Patricks College to compete in the Term 3 Gardener interschool chess tournament. The term 3 tournament is the state qualifying tournament.

At the end of the 4th round the top team from James Nash, Victory College and St Patricks College were all tied on 11.5 points. After some losses in round 5 we made a come back in Round 6 and 7 to win gold not only in the team performance but also the individual performance, qualifying for the state tournament in term 4.